By this Christmas, the cry of “stop playing games and get some exercise” might echo around the house for the last time. With both Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 following the Wii into the realm of motion controlled gaming, playing will no longer mean sitting on your backside.

PlayStation 3 is sticking closest to the Wii approach, with PlayStation Move offering a waggling wand and a one-hand controller setup that looks instantly familiar. The wand comes with a big glowing ball on the end, which is picked up by the PlayStation Eye camera and used to detect the slightest movement of your arm in real space.

The results are impressive, and with Sony pushing hard for 3D gaming as well, it could be that in the next few years we’ll be surrounded by the latest shooters, moving and aiming in real life, instead of slumped over a joypad.

Microsoft might have something to say about that, though. Kinect is the Xbox 360’s offering, and it does away with controllers completely. Instead, a sophisticated camera detects up to six people in the room – two of which can be active players – and maps not only their location, but their voices, movements and body shape. As well as games designed for full body control, Kinect will let you control the Xbox with just your voice, playing and pausing videos, even making international video calls for free over the internet.

Of course, it all comes down to the games and the price. Sony has wisely made Move compatible with big hardcore releases like Killzone 3, and you’ll be able to buy each component separately to save money. Kinect, on the other hand, costs £130 for everything and the games are much more in the familiar Wii style, with family mini-games, fitness and dance games.

Whichever one you choose, there’s a good chance the sofa will be gathering dust!